This article was written by your REACH (BAME) representative, Daveen Jones.
You may have noticed a new name appearing across Open SU. Our former BAME student community is now REACH: Race, Ethnicity And Culture Heritage.
This change is about more than replacing one name with another. It reflects conversations about the language we use, the different identities and experiences within our community, and the importance of students being able to shape how the community that represents them is described.
Why move away from BAME?
For many years, BAME, meaning Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, has been widely used as an umbrella term when referring to people from different ethnic minority backgrounds.
However, there has been growing recognition that the term does not always reflect the people it is intended to describe. Bringing many different communities together under one label can overlook important differences in identity, culture, heritage and lived experience.
This concern extends beyond our own student community. UK Government guidance no longer uses the terms BAME or BME, stating that they can emphasise some ethnic groups while excluding others and can mask differences and disparities between individual groups. The Government has also moved away from using BAME in its own communications.
For our community, this raised an important question: if BAME no longer felt like the right name, what should come next?
Choosing a new name together
Rather than simply deciding on a new name, we wanted students to have a say in what their community would be called.
Students were invited to suggest alternative names, and the options were then put to a poll in our WhatsApp group so members could vote for their preferred choice. REACH received the most support, meaning the new name was chosen collectively by the students within the community.
I wanted the process to be student-led, as ultimately it is their community and the name should reflect how they want to be represented.
REACH stands for:
Race
Ethnicity
And
Culture
Heritage
The name recognises that our identities are shaped by more than one part of who we are. Race and ethnicity are important, but so are our cultures, communities, histories and heritage.
REACH gives us a name that reflects more of that diversity while allowing students to recognise and celebrate the differences between their experiences rather than placing everyone under one broad label.
What REACH means for our community
REACH is not intended to suggest that everyone within the community shares the same experiences.
Our students come from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds, cultures and heritages. Those differences are important, and REACH creates space for them to be recognised.
At the same time, it provides a community where students can connect, share experiences, celebrate their identities and heritage, support one another and have their voices represented across Open SU.
Most importantly, the move to REACH was shaped with students. The new name reflects the kind of community we want to continue building: one where students have a meaningful role in deciding how they are represented.
Welcome to REACH: Race, Ethnicity And Culture Heritage.
Plus, we have a new logo!
We are excited to officially unveil the new REACH Alliance logo and celebrate/ announce the winner of our student logo competition!
And the winner is...
We are delighted to announce Zachary Bowes (STEM degree student) as the winner of the REACH logo competition!
In their submission, Zachary described REACH as:
"REACH is a celebration of who we are, where we come from and what we share. The diverse figures, different skin tones and vibrant colours come together to represent people and communities connected through race, ethnicity and cultural heritage. The circular design symbolises unity, belonging, and the idea that everyone has a place within REACH. The colours reflect the richness and individuality of our different cultures, while the central connection represents what we can achieve when we come together.
REACH is more than a name; it is an invitation to connect, celebrate our heritage, embrace our differences and build a stronger, more inclusive community together."
Following the competition, the winning logo was slightly adapted to align with Open SU's branding, while retaining the central design and meaning of Zachary's original entry.